The vast former imperial palace in the heart of Beijing, now the Palace Museum, with courtyards, gates and halls stretching north from Tiananmen. It involves a lot of walking, so focus on the central axis and a few side halls with kids.
A restored stretch of the Great Wall in the hills north-east of Beijing, with watchtowers and wooded views. A cable car or chairlift saves the climb up, and the toboggan ride down is a highlight for many kids. Plan it as a full day out.
China's national science museum, near the Olympic Park, with large halls of hands-on exhibits and a dedicated children's area for younger visitors. Indoors and big enough to fill a half-day, so choose a few zones to focus on.
One of China's oldest zoos, in north-western central Beijing, best known for its giant pandas alongside a wide range of other animals. It is large and mostly outdoors, so head to the pandas early and pace the rest with breaks.
A planetarium near Beijing Zoo with dome shows and exhibitions about astronomy and space. Indoors and easy to pair with the zoo, it suits school-age kids and teens with an interest in the stars and planets.
A former imperial garden in north-west Beijing, set around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, with pavilions, the painted Long Corridor and boats on the water. Mostly outdoors and spread out, so plan a relaxed pace with plenty of breaks.
A large park in southern central Beijing around the round, blue-roofed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Mornings are lively with locals doing tai chi, dancing and games, and the open grounds give kids room to move between the buildings.
A huge national history museum on the east side of Tiananmen Square, covering China from ancient times onward. It is indoors but very large, so choose one or two galleries, such as ancient China, rather than trying to see everything.
The 2008 Olympic site in northern Beijing, home to the Bird's Nest stadium and the Water Cube, with wide open plazas and parkland. Good for a stroll, scooters or photos, and close to the China Science and Technology Museum.
A museum in Fengtai District devoted to cars, with historic vehicles and exhibits on how cars are designed and built. An indoor stop well suited to kids who love cars and engineering.